Ventura, CA. - With 410,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine expected in Ventura County, the county has seen 28% of its expected allotment; a total of 113,000 doses of the vaccine have been delivered to local health care providers to date. The number of high risk people lining up for the vaccine is beginning to slow, therefore Dr. Robert Levin, Public Health Officer, has expanded the list of eligible recipients to include health care providers and first responders. These groups are defined as health care and emergency medical services personnel who have direct patient contact.

After numerous public health flu clinics held throughout the county targeting the most at-risk groups, Dr. Levin now feels it is appropriate to expand eligible recipients to this important group. “We’re pleased with the number of people who have been getting vaccinated and that the message has gotten out to those most at-risk,” said Dr. Levin. “Health care providers and medical staff in our county have been extremely gracious to allow their patients most at risk to step to the front of the line, so to speak, and receive the vaccine first. There are counties that have not been as selfless, and I believe our health care providers are to be commended for putting the community first. We are happy to now be able to offer the vaccine to them, as they are in daily contact with those capable of spreading the virus.”

Those who have been eligible to receive the vaccine, and continue to be, are children from the ages of six months to 24-years of age; healthy household contacts of infants under 6 months of age; pregnant women, and adults from the ages of 24 to 64 years of age who have high risk medical conditions, such as lung disease, diabetes and heart disease.

People not included in the above groups have been shown to be at low risk for serious illness from the H1N1 virus. For more information on H1N1 visit the Public Health website at www.vchca.org/ph